Food crisis feared as farms $uffer

Record-high prices on diesel fuel, coupled with soaring inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine, could lead to food shortages in the US, farmers warned.

“For so long, we’ve enjoyed lots of food in this country, so we’ve never ever faced a food shortage, and I think that’s coming in the coming months,” John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, told NewsNation’s “On Balance” on Monday.

Average diesel prices in the US reached $5.70 per gallon Monday, representing a $2.40 increase from the same period last year.

Farmers rely on diesel to fuel their tractors and other heavy machinery, burning up to thousands of gallons a month depending on the size of their operation.

Feeling the pinch at the pump, farmers may stop planting certain crops to save money, which could result in higher food prices and even food shortages.

During a hearing on inflation held by the Pennsylvania state House Republican Policy Committee

this week, Kyle Kotzmoyer, a legislative-affairs specialist for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, described local farms as “teetering on the edge,” according to The Morning Call.

“If the farmers cannot get crops out of the ground, then there is not food on the shelves,” he said.

In Pennsylvania, average diesel prices on Tuesday were $6.19 per gallon, up 75% compared with last year, AAA reported.

Kotzmoyer said he has already heard of farmers choosing to plant hay instead of corn or beans, because it is more economical.

Boyd, of the National Black Farmers Association, told NewsNation that food staples like corn, corn syrup and soybeans, which farmers produce daily, help put other products, including dairy, eggs and meat, in grocery stores.

The Labor Department reported last week that grocery-store prices had spiked 11.9% in May over the last year amid soaring inflation, which reached a 40-year record of 8.6% in May.